Department of Justice Seal Department of Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, APRIL10, 2003
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
CRT
(202) 514-2008
TDD (202) 514-1888

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INDICTS TWO NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS
WITH FORCING JAMAICAN CITIZENS INTO INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., United States Attorney Tom Colantuono, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jay Fallon, and Litchfield Police Chief Thomas F. Iverson, Jr., announced the indictment of Timothy H. Bradley, owner of a tree cutting business, and Kathleen O'Dell with violations of federal peonage and slavery laws, conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements to federal investigators. The 43-year-old Bradley and 48-year-old O'Dell reside at 21 Pinecrest Road in Litchfield.

The 21-count indictment involves the treatment of four Jamaican citizens who Bradley and O'Dell recruited in Jamaica and brought to New Hampshire to work for Bradley Tree Service in the spring and summer of 2000 and 2001.

The indictment alleges that Bradley and O'Dell threatened two of the men with serious harm and physical restraint to obtain their labor and services. The indictment includes allegations that Bradley ordered his dog to attack one of the men and that Bradley and O'Dell physically assaulted both men. Additionally, the indictment alleges that defendants forced the men to live in a shed and a trailer without adequate heating and plumbing and denied one of the men medical care when he was injured on the job. Bradley and O'Dell were also charged with confiscating the men's passports as part of their scheme to force the men to work.

The grand jury also charged both defendants with 11 counts of wire fraud in connection with alleged schemes to defraud all four men by misrepresenting to them how much they would be paid as employees of Bradley Tree Service. O'Dell was also charged with one count of making a false statement to the FBI in connection with the work she did for Bradley Tree Service.

If convicted of these offenses, Bradley and O'Dell face maximum prison sentences ranging from five to 20 years and maximum fines of $250,000 for each count.

This indictment was the result of a 17-month investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Litchfield Police Department, and the Diplomatic Security Service of the United States Department of State. Federal agents arrested Bradley and O'Dell today without incident. Both were arraigned on these charges today at the federal courthouse in Concord.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman and Trial Attorney Anne Milgram of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

A trial date was scheduled for June 17, 2003. Bradley and O'Dell were released on personal recognizance bail pending their trial.

An indictment is only an allegation and not proof of criminal conduct. As in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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